Questions – 05.06.2018

Small Groups at Lakeland exist to make disciples who make disciples in relational environments as we live out the four habits – accountability, shepherding, developing others, and on mission.

ICEBREAKER (optional): Finish this sentence…A good small group _________________. (Leader’s Tip: Listen to the answers and hear the hearts of your people in your group. Good opportunity to remind them of the statement above.)

DISCUSSION STARTER (optional): Let’s start by asking if anyone has a specific takeaway from this weekend’s message that they’d like to share.

FOCUS QUESTIONS

This weekend we learned that God is shouting (calling us to attention, calling us to His protection, calling us to join in the shouting). In our culture, what is shouting often used for? Where do we often hear people shouting?

DEVELOPING OTHERS: Based on what we learned through this message, how is shouting used in making us disciples of Jesus?

ACCOUNTABILITY: The classic shouting passage in all of the Bible is found in Joshua 5 & 6. God delivers on His promise to bring His people into the land but before they settle in there are cities to conquer. Jericho is one of those cities and it becomes the scene where God does something unique. [Read Joshua 5:15-6:5, then ask] What does it mean for a city to be “tightly barred” or “securely shut”? How do you think armies could attack a city that was barred and had high walls?

God’s plans are usually not our own plans (marching in circles, shouting, and trumpet playing don’t usually win battles!). Why is Joshua confident in the Lord’s plan to take the city?

Let’s read Joshua 6:15-21. Is Joshua hesitant or confident as the trumpets begin to blast? Look at how many commands that Joshua gives the Israelites BEFORE the walls come down (v.16-19). Why are these commands important? What do we learn from them as we face our own battles?

SHEPHERDING: What fortified city or impossible challenge are you facing? How does the Lord want you to fight with Him through this difficulty? How can our small group come alongside you?

RESOURCE: “Why so much bloodshed in the Bible?” This is a difficult question to tackle in the midst of a small group discussion but it does come up as people make sense of the Bible. Here are some best practices: (1) Get your group to wrestle with this and seek answers – what a great way to DEVELOP OTHERS! (2) Ask ‘What does this show us about God?’ – He is serious about repentance, sin demands a punishment, and He is also Judge. (3) Context always helps! God has given the Canaanites 400 years to repent and they refused – see Genesis 15. God was also preparing the world (long before Jesus was born) for a Savior through the Israelites.